Report - Kings Cinema, West Bromwich - February 2025

[MotionlessMike]

Kings Cinema, West Bromwich - February 2025

A 3-screen cinema in West Bromwich town centre which opened in 1975 and closed in 2002 - this was apparently the first purpose-built cinema to be constructed with multiple screens. Here’s some more detailed history from Cinema Treasures:
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Built as a replacement for the old Kings Cinema (1914-1973) on Paradise Street. The ‘new’ Kings Cinema was part of the recently completed Kings Square shopping complex development in West Bromwich which opened on 21st March 1974. At a time when traditional circle and stalls cinemas were being doubled and tripled, the Kings Cinema was unique at the time, it being the first purpose built cinema specifically designed to host multiple screens. The cinema, throughout its life, was operated by Miles Jervis Cinemas Ltd. It was opened on 28th June 1975 with “Shampoo” playing in the 320-seat Kings I, “The Yacuza” in the 280-seat Kings II, and on 20th July 1975 the 442-seat Kings III opened with “The Godfather, Part 2”.

The largest auditorium was located on the top floor, with two smaller screens on the lower floors; a licensed bar with a colour television was located on the front elevation of the building on an intermediate landing as you made your way up to the main screen. There was a small foyer which included a box office and concession stand on the ground floor.

The cinema continued until 8th September 2002 when it closed, playing “Spy Kids” and “The Guru”. It is not entirely clear why the cinema suddenly closed, but it is suggested that access to the site was made difficult during redevelopment of the adjacent Bus Station and building of “The Public” arts centre close by. It is believed that during this time, the cinema voluntarily closed due to dwindling numbers with the intention of reopening when construction work in the area was completed and full access was restored. The cinema did not reopen on completion of the Bus Station and Arts Centre project.​

A recent planning application has gone in for demolition of the former cinema to construct a 15 storey apartment block.

Can’t say I’d ever heard of this cinema before until I was having a scroll through Facebook one evening and the algorithm randomly threw up a picture of the auditorium posted in some tragic sounding ‘I Live in West Brom 2’ group. Cinema Treasures seemed to suggest this cinema had already been demolished - the picture in question said otherwise. Best go have a mooch then! Cheers Facebook!

Visited with @raisinwing, we didn’t spend as long here as we would have liked, car park time ticking away and other commitments stopped us having a thorough rake.



Only screen 3 remains on the top floor

Screen 3's projector & rewind rooms

Bar area

The projector room for screen 1 & 2 remains - looking through the hole, all you can see is above the suspended ceiling of a now vacant shop

demolition date is set for mid-April I think.​

 

[mockney reject]

pretty nice that, love the projectors

 

[Speed]

Yeh must say it turned out to be alot more dated and alot more left than most older cinemas nowerdays! I feel I must go do that one in Doncaster at some point, apparently the last single screen cinema built! (not Harlow Odeon as ive seen claimed too) Would make a good set!

 

[MotionlessMike]

Yeh must say it turned out to be alot more dated and alot more left than most older cinemas nowerdays! I feel I must go do that one in Doncaster at some point, apparently the last single screen cinema built! (not Harlow Odeon as ive seen claimed too) Would make a good set!

Oh... ABC? Has a nice concrete fire escape from what I can remember of it externally!

 

[raisinwing]

Enjoyed it here, annoyed that we ran out of time really!

Nice set of photo-giraffes.

 

[Speed]

Oh... ABC? Has a nice concrete fire escape from what I can remember of it externally!

Yeh thats the one, never really bothered to look at it seriously before but I think its a similar era of dated inside.

 

[Speed]

(Although I must say I do have some doubts over the first/last claims as I think the ABC was built 67 and this one not until 75 so did they really not build any cinemas in this country for 8 years?)

 

[TheTimeChamber]

Lovely stuff

 

[Calamity Jane]

Nice to see the projectors and reels in there

 

[MotionlessMike]

Enjoyed it here, annoyed that we ran out of time really!

Nice set of photo-giraffes.

Spent too long wandering around taking pictures of comedy fried chicken signs 🤣

 

[MotionlessMike]

(Although I must say I do have some doubts over the first/last claims as I think the ABC was built 67 and this one not until 75 so did they really not build any cinemas in this country for 8 years?)

It's an interesting point! Were cinema owners too busy tripling existing venues around this time to be building new ones??

 

[Esoteric Eric]

Yeh thats the one, never really bothered to look at it seriously before but I think its a similar era of dated inside.

Split in to 3 screens in the 80s with one large and 2 smaller. All the seats & projectors have been stripped. Something of interest on the roof though 😉 I've never managed to get in mind! There seemed to be a small window of opportunity a couple years ago

 

[mookster]

That's lovely, so much nicer than the modernised fresh ones.

 

[jtza]

Lovely projs

 

[stranton]

nice report m8, loving the projectors.